The Miracle of Collaboration
02 Dec 2014
To get the collaborative approach working, Cleveland’s Alliance had to overcome some history, according to J.B. Silvers. First, the approach was “just trust the doctor”—which, needless to say, did not work well. The second phase was to trust the managers and the free market to fix the system, but that resulted in managed care and subsequent frustration. Finally, a collaborative model emerged in Cleveland, and it has been a success. Cleveland focused on primary care, celebrated victories, and had trusted data because of the uptake of electronic medical systems. The best performers now share their secrets to success in a safe environment. They “help the people,” Silvers said. “Everything else is secondary.”
J.B. Silvers is the John R. Mannix Medical Mutual of Ohio Professor of Health Care Finance and a Professor of Banking and Finance at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.